Four Outrageous New Watches on Every Serious Collector’s Wish List

Welcome to Watch Guy Watches, GQ’s monthly curation of high-end timepieces for the true watch nerds among us. This December, a relatively unknown young watchmaker delivers a stunning new take on his debut model; Vulcain and Massena LAB rethink a dive watch classic; Urwerk flips the script with a white Polaris; and Hublot teams up with Samuel Ross on an avant-garde tourbillon.

Simon Brette Chronomètre Artisans Rose Gold

Laurent Xavier Moulin

In 2023, a relatively unknown young watchmaker named Simon Brette quickly ascended to industry darling with the debut of his Chronomètre Artisans, a piece of titanium-clad haute horlogerie and a unique “dragon scales” texture on the dial. The French-born Brette had spent years cutting his teeth at various watchmaking firms in Switzerland, eventually settling at MB&F where he drew up the brand’s typically fantastical creations. When Brette released the Chronomètre Artisans on his own, it immediately found a customer base and the waitlist for the watch is now the stuff of legend.

Brette’s released the follow-up the Chronomètre Artisans Rose Gold, earlier this month. The new iteration of his signature piece reimagines the time-only piece in precious metal with an incredible black DLC-coated dial finished with tremblage hand engraving. The hand-wound movement’s rose gold wheels are visible through the dial, their pinkish hue gelling with the case and making for a cohesive aesthetic that contrasts beautifully with the black of the minute track and dial center. The 39-mm watch is even better when flipped over and its rose gold bridges and plates are visible via a sapphire caseback for all to see. With its superb finishing and attention to detail, it has a bit of the je ne sais quoi that make 18th and 19th-century pocket watch movements so special to behold.

At nearly $100,000, the Chronomètre Artisans Rose Gold is a bold proposition from a young watchmaker who only recently set up shop—but Brette had no problem selling all 50 pieces. In fact, the announcement for the watch included a special section titled “An Edition That Is a Victim of Its Own Success.” It’s here that the brand shares that before the watch ever became public, it sold out immediately to existing clients. It’s not hard to understand the fervor. With its gorgeous engraved dial, highly finished movement, well designed case, and perfect mix of the classical and the avant-garde, the Chronomètre Artisans is a wildly good start to a promising career in haute horlogerie.